Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 295 China's Navy is the Strongest in Asia! Britain, France, and the United States are shocked! Truman's absolute encirclement order!

Within the capital

"Extra number! Extra number!"

"Wu Wanli led his troops to liberate Hengcheng, winning warships for the navy and making it the number one navy in Asia!"

"Our navy triumphed in Tokyo, and the Japanese emperor knelt before our navy!"

"The Chinese fleet enters Tokyo, wiping away the national humiliation of the First Sino-Japanese War!!"

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old newsboy, his face frozen like a ripe apple, had an unusually bright voice, as if he wanted to shout this earth-shattering good news throughout the entire city.

Clutching the stack of new newspapers that reeked of strong ink, he ran as fast as he could in the chill of the early winter morning.

Newspapers with huge headlines and pictures rustled as he ran, like waving victory flags.

"Newspaper vendor! Give me one now!"

"Quick! Save me a copy!"

"Let me see! Let me see!"

The sound was like a stone thrown into a still lake. People setting up stalls on the street, sweeping the floor, walking their birds, pedaling tricycles, and people just emerging from teahouses...

All sorts of people, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, rushed over all at once.

Countless arms reached eagerly towards the little newsboy, coins and silver notes jingling and clattering in his tattered satchel.

The words "Emperor kneels," "receives warships," and "Asia's first navy" on that new newspaper burned the eyes of every Chinese person!

At the edge of the crowd, an elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a worn dark blue cotton robe, gazed at the gray sky with a vacant look in his eyes, as if recalling distant memories.

This earth-shattering cry of a hawker jolted him awake from his reverie. He was none other than Sa Zhenbing, an officer in the Beiyang Navy!
Sa Zhenbing's cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with astonishing brilliance, and even the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out a bit of urgency at this moment.

"Child! Child! Quick! Give this old man a portion!"

Sa Zhenbing's voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable power, even trembling slightly.

Ignoring his advanced age and frail health, he forcefully pushed through the crowded and noisy throng, staggered to the front, and shoved the money into the newsboy's hand without a word.

"Grandpa, please take this!"

The newsboy, seeing the amount far exceeding the newspaper's value, and then looking at the old man's weathered face, now flushed with excitement, quickly handed him a newspaper.

Sa Zhenbing nodded hurriedly, almost snatching the thin piece of paper as if it were a treasure, and eagerly unfolded it on the street.

Some passersby who hadn't managed to grab a newspaper couldn't wait any longer and gathered around to read it.

A huge black-and-white photograph in the center of the front page of the newspaper firmly captured everyone's attention!
Although the printing wasn't perfectly clear, the soul-stirring scene was enough to stir anyone's emotions!

Against the backdrop of a vast bay, the silhouette of a massive, imposing Chinese fleet arranged like steel behemoths, and a group of people lying prostrate on the ground, occupying the most prominent position in the photo!
The figure at the very front, dressed in a magnificent kimono, with his head bowed so low it almost touches the ground, clearly and unmistakably identifies him as the Emperor of Japan!
"Look!"

"That's it! The Japanese Emperor! He's really kneeling down!"

"Heaven has eyes! This son of a bitch has finally met his end! Good for him kneeling! Good for him kneeling!"

"Fleet! Look at our fleet! Good heavens!"

"These battleships and cruisers! These gun barrels! And these aircraft carriers and submarines!"

"So impressive! Absolutely impressive!"

"Look at this! The momentum!"

"It's more than a hundred times better than the ironclad warships that the Japanese devils sailed to our doorstep back then!"

"This is what you call a Great Wall at Sea!!"

"More than that!"

"This is a warship from our new China! We've sailed right up to Japan's doorstep! We've made their Emperor kowtow!"

"A century-old grudge! Avenged in a single day! How satisfying! Damn, how satisfying!!!"

In an instant, the crowd erupted in cheers!
The blood feud and humiliation that had been building up for more than half a century, like a volcano suppressed for thousands of years, finally found the most exhilarating outlet at this moment!

The men waved their fists, their faces flushed red, the women excitedly wiped their eyes, and the children, though ignorant, jumped and danced with excitement.

Every face was filled with triumphant joy and immense pride in the steel behemoth of the Chinese navy.

Just then, another middle-aged man wearing round glasses, who looked like an accountant, was holding a newspaper with his hand trembling violently.

His gaze swept over the photo of the Emperor kneeling with fervor, then immediately focused on a longer, more detailed report at the bottom of the front page.

He read extremely fast, his eyes almost bulging out, his breathing becoming more and more rapid, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, as if something was violently pounding in his chest, trying to be shouted out!

"Everyone! Everyone!! Please be quiet! Listen to me!"

"Do you know why the Emperor knelt?! Do you know where this armored fleet came from?!"

Finally, he could no longer contain himself, and suddenly raised his head, shouting in a voice that almost screamed, drowning out the clamor of voices.

This earth-shattering roar brought the surrounding noise to a standstill.

All eyes, including those of the white-haired old man, were fixed on him.

"Such immortal achievements belong entirely to Wu Wanli, a young general of the new China!"

"General Wu was given a critical mission and led the elite Seventh Steel Brigade, traveling day and night, forcing their way through 241 miles of mountain roads!"

"With unpredictable and divine means, we will seize the perilous and secure the Iron Chain Bridge!"

"With unstoppable momentum, they launched a swift and decisive attack on Hengcheng, a key city in South Korea!"

"Within ten days, four fortified cities—Pyeongtaek, Sunam, Suwon, and Hoengseong—were captured! Over ten thousand enemy soldiers were annihilated! Our might terrifies the enemy!"

"nice!"

"Such incredible bravery! It was precisely because we achieved the impossible condition set by the Soviets—the liberation of Hengcheng in a short time—that we were able to bring six submarines under our command!"

"Without such a divine general! Without such divine soldiers! How could such an unparalleled feat have been accomplished?! How could such a fleet have sailed eastward?! How could such a Japanese chieftain have groveled before him?!"

"Did you hear that? Did you see that?! It's him! Wu Wanli!"

"A young general who hasn't even reached adulthood! Even the legendary generals Gan Luo and Huo Qubing of old were no more than this!"

Mr. Glasses was so excited that his lenses were trembling. He poked at the printed words in the newspaper with his fingers, as if he wanted to tear each word off the page and smash it in front of everyone.

The three words "Wu Wanli" struck like a thunderbolt from the heavens, hitting everyone's ears and hearts hard!
"Wu Wanli?"

"Isn't that the young war god who caused such a stir in the capital a few days ago, the one who won the great victory at Suwon?!"

"Yes, yes! It's him!"

"I heard she's only nineteen!"

"My goodness!"

"Traveling over 240 miles of mountain roads, braving wind and snow, and leading troops into a major battle?"

"This must be a god descending to earth!!"

"Good heavens! No wonder the Soviet Union was suddenly so generous, giving away cruisers, destroyers, and even submarines for free! It turns out it was Comrade Wu Wanli who won this battle!"

The crowd erupted in even more fervent amazement and heartfelt admiration!

If the fleet's entry into Tokyo Bay and the Emperor's kneeling were exhilarating events...

Wu Wanli, who created this result, is a miracle that ignited the patriotic passion of the entire nation; he is a living legend!
Sa Zhenbing's bloodshot old eyes were fixed on every word in the newspaper: "Steel Seventh Brigade's Blitzkrieg in Hengcheng," "Emperor Kneels," and so on!

These burning words, like red-hot steel needles, pierced his heart, which had been filled with grief and humiliation for more than half a century!
Grandpa Sa began to tremble violently!

The muscles in his face twitched, and his deeply lined old face was distorted by extreme emotional shock!
His white hair fluttered in the cold wind!

The bitter tears that had accumulated over decades, mixed with the smell of the sea and the smoke of gunpowder, could no longer be held back and streamed down the deep wrinkles etched into his bones!
The pain, humiliation, and resentment that had been suppressed for so long collided violently with the ecstasy, pride, and supreme joy that erupted at this moment!
"Ladies and gentlemen! Fellow villagers! Do you know who I am?"

"Do you know what I'm carrying?! This old body of mine! What am I carrying?!"

"Back then, I, Sa Zhenbing, was on our ironclad warships, the 'Dingyuan' and 'Zhenyuan'!"

"Shouldering cannons and guarding the nation's borders!"

"The Beiyang Fleet was the strongest in Asia at that time!"

"But what was the result?!"

"In the year of Jiawu (1894), on the 18th day of the eighth month of the year Renchen (1892), our ironclad fleet, the best in Asia, was sunk!"

"So many good brothers! So many fine men!!"

"Commander Deng Shichang! Commander Lin Yongsheng!! We bought this ironclad behemoth with so much hope and money!"

"They...they all sank to the bottom of that cold sea! They sank! They turned into rusty iron! They turned into ashes!"

"And then...and then what?!"

"It was those little devils again, and their warships again, in the Battle of Shanghai!"

"At the mouth of the Wusong River and the mouth of the Yangtze River, those giant cannons just kept firing!"

"An entire company of Chinese soldiers was wiped out by a single naval gun shell!"

"The blood flowed down the Huangpu River and stained the seawater red..."

"At this age, when I close my eyes at night, all I see are the sounds of cannons and the flashes of fire, the boundless shame of all nations mocking China for having no coastal defense!"

"I often say, the shame of the First Sino-Japanese War! It has yet to be avenged!!! It has yet to be avenged!!!"

Sa Zhenbing gripped the newspaper tightly, his voice booming with a mixture of tearful accusations and eventual relief on the winter streets of Beijing.

Grandpa Sa wept uncontrollably, crying out, "The shame of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 has yet to be avenged!"

The sorrow, like a real, cold wind, swept through everyone's heart, making the early winter morning even more desolate and heavy.

"But today! Just today!!! Thank God!!"

"Wu Wanli! What a fine Wu Wanli! What a young hero!"

"Two hundred and forty-one li! Seizing the Chaoding Bridge! It was a matter of life and death!"

"It's like wielding a big sword at the gates of the King of Hell's palace! But he actually managed to make it happen!"

"They captured four cities in quick succession, utterly terrified the Americans and the puppet troops of the Soviet Union, and even managed to subdue those old Russians, forcing them to obediently deliver their warships to their doorstep!!"

"That's how we got to where we are today, how our ironclad behemoths sailed into Tokyo Bay!"

"Let that old man Hirohito, who allowed the Japanese soldiers to wreak havoc on us back then! He'll kneel down and kowtow obediently under our cannons!!!"

"I've clung to life until today just to see the Japanese devils crawl on their stomachs!"

"Look, our ships are bigger than theirs! And our cannons are louder!"

"It's worth it!"

"With these ships and with a brilliant young hero like Wu Wanli, the rejuvenation of China and the resurgence of its maritime power are within reach!"

"Even if I close my eyes right now... right now! It would be worth it! I could die with a smile on my face!!!"

As if he had used all his strength to finish speaking, Sa Zhenbing's thin body fell straight backward in his excitement!

"Old man!!"

"Old Master Sa!!"

"Quick, help him up! The old man has fainted!!"

The crowd erupted in terrified screams!

At the critical moment, the man who was closest rushed forward and steadily supported Sa Zhenbing's body as it fell backward!

Others nearby realized what was happening and quickly helped support the unconscious elderly man.

"Quick! Hurry, General Fusa, to that 'Mingxiangju' over there! They have hot tea! It'll warm you up!"

The shrewd man immediately gave directions, pointing to a teahouse on the street corner with red lanterns hanging and steaming hot.

With everyone's help, they carefully carried this venerable elder, who embodied half of the humiliating history of modern Chinese navy, into the teahouse, as if he were a fragile treasure.

When the shopkeeper and his assistant saw that it was Old Man Sa, they were filled with respect and immediately put several tables together, laid out the thickest cotton mats, and carefully settled the old man in.

They pinched the philtrum, handed out hot towels, and the shopkeeper personally brought over a bowl of freshly brewed, piping hot ginseng soup.

After about fifteen minutes, Grandpa Sa slowly woke up, exhaled a long breath, and his eyes gradually cleared from their initial confusion.

He saw the concerned faces surrounding him and subconsciously reached for the newspaper.

The man surnamed Hu quickly handed him the newspaper, which he was still clutching tightly in his hand and which was already a little wrinkled.

"Yes...yes...it's not a dream...it's real..."

The old man gripped it tightly, as if to confirm that this was not a dream. A smile of extreme exhaustion yet immense relief appeared on his face as he murmured.

The atmosphere in the teahouse eased, but the turbulent emotions did not subside.

Everyone was deeply moved by Old Sa's tearful accusations and eventual sense of relief.

They gained a deeper, more profound, and more profound understanding of Wu Wanli's achievements and the great significance of this hard-won new navy.

The other customers in the teahouse were also whispering about this earth-shattering news and the amazing performance of the legendary old man.

Just then, near a table close to the stove, a thin, middle-aged man wearing a worn blue long gown, with a goatee and two shiny walnuts in his hand, suddenly slammed his hand on the table!
"Snapped!"

The crisp sound drew everyone's attention.

This person is none other than Zhou Tiezui, a storyteller who is famous in the surrounding alleys!

Actually, he was only famous in this teahouse, but he became famous after talking about Wu Wanli's book.

He was sitting in the corner, engrossed in the newspaper he had just bought, his eyes scanning the lines rapidly, his fingers stroking his beard as he pondered something.

The story of Mr. Sa excited him, but it seemed to inspire him to create something new.

"Fellow elders! Fellow viewers! Today, auspicious omens have descended from the heavens! The whole world rejoices!"

"Our mighty Chinese armored army has triumphed in foreign lands! The Japanese chieftain has knelt in submission! This is an unprecedented feat!"

"I, Zhou, am unworthy, yet a burning fire burns within me, my very being boils! If I do not recount these achievements in detail here, I would be failing to live up to this heavenly tidings!"

"We are even more ashamed before that young hero who performed such extraordinary feats!"

"Today, I, Zhou, merely borrow the style of the ancients to express the sentiments in my heart and to demonstrate the might of our Chinese heroes!"

At that moment, his eyes shone brightly, and he suddenly stood up, bowing deeply to the tea drinkers in the room.

"it is good!!"

"Mr. Zhou, that's great!!"

"Tell me quickly! Tell me about that 50,000 li!"

When everyone heard this, they cheered loudly.

Even Sa Zhenbing, who had just caught his breath, looked on with a hint of anticipation, wanting to hear how this famously sharp-tongued man in the capital would comment on this unprecedented event.

Zhou Tiezui was even more spirited after winning the prize.

"As mentioned in the last chapter, 'At Changban Slope, Zhao Zilong single-handedly rescued his lord, charging in and out seven times. The hero of Changshan Zhending was courageous, his body covered in blood, terrifying even tigers and leopards!'"

"However, in my humble opinion today, even if Zhao Yun were to be reborn, or Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were to be brought back to life!"

"Compared to that young genius who has emerged on the front lines of North Korea, he is only fit to—carry his shoes and lead his horse!!!"

He surveyed the entire audience, his hand conspicuously raised high, but he didn't slap it down. He took a deep breath and began with a startling statement.

Ouch——!
A collective gasp filled the teahouse! These were all peerless warriors who had been deified in historical novels!
Everyone's appetite was immediately whetted!
The teahouse fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop. Even the gurgling of the kettle on the stove became crystal clear.

Zhou Tiezui suddenly slashed through the air with his hand! It was as if he had cleaved through space and time!
"Who is this divine general? He is none other than Wu Wanli, the young commander who, at the dawn of our new dynasty, shines as brightly as a morning star, illuminating the world!!!"

"This General Wu is truly a celestial prodigy descended to earth, a young man from the land of China who has become a divine soldier!"

"At the Chaoding Bridge, seven cold iron chains were hung with icicles, and the American heavy artillery was rampant, with bullets raining down like hail!"

“……………………”

"Hengcheng has been recaptured, a great achievement! The telegram sent to the headquarters has brought an immense surprise!"

The Soviet Union honored its promise and handed over the warship fleet!

"That's how we came to have the scene outside Tokyo Bay where ironclad warships covered the sea and the five-star red flag shone brightly in the East!"

"A century of humiliation has been wiped away in a single day. Japanese chieftain Hirohito, his face ashen, knelt trembling at the bow of the ship!"

"At this moment, our captured soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army burst into tears, broke through their cages, and rushed back to their hometowns! The five-star red flag fluttered in the wind, and the national anthem shook the heavens and moved even ghosts and gods to tears!"

"Gentlemen! General Wu Wanli! A young hero, a pillar of the nation!"

"He's the pillar of strength in the hearts of ordinary people!"

Zhou Tiezui finished speaking in rapid succession, like a machine gun, and concluded with a final remark.

"good--!!!"

The moment Zhou Tiezui finished speaking, the teahouse erupted in chaos!

Thunderous cheers, table-pounding, stomping, and excited shouts mingled together, making the windowpanes vibrate.

The pent-up excitement was completely ignited, cheers rose and fell, and everyone's face turned red with excitement.

The elderly Sa Zhenbing was so moved that he stood up again, tears streaming down his face, and clapped his hands vigorously.

The teahouse staff forgot to refill the tea and water, and joined in the loud cheers.

The entire teahouse was immersed in an extremely enthusiastic, proud, and almost roof-lifting jubilation.

This is just a microcosm; newspapers about Wu Wanli's achievements and the Chinese Navy's triumph in Tokyo have sold out in major cities across China.

Even newspapers in countries around the world, such as Britain, France, and the United States, thousands of miles away, carried the news on their front pages, shocking the world!
....................................

Meanwhile, in the United States, at Caltech.

Qian Xuesen, who had just come out of the laboratory, had a look of fatigue on his face after focusing on his work. Beside him was Zhao Qingyang, a student with yellow skin and black eyes.

Qingyang was one of Qian Xuesen's most valued students. He was intelligent, diligent, and shared Qian Xuesen's pure love for science and deep concern for his homeland.

"Teacher, the experimental data is even better than expected. This time, the aerodynamic calculation model should be validated!"

Zhao Qingyang's voice was filled with the excitement of youth.

Qian Xuesen pushed up his glasses and smiled with satisfaction, but deep in that smile, he couldn't hide a hint of heaviness: "Qingyang, scientific exploration has no end, and this progress is something to be happy about."

"But with war raging all over the country and the Korean battlefield being a bloodbath, every bit of comfort we enjoy here is built on the backs of our compatriots in our homeland."

This profound sorrow is the cross they constantly bear, even while under the spotlight of top universities in foreign countries.

“Teacher, I understand. Every time I read news about North Korea in the newspaper, it feels like being pricked by needles.”

The excitement on Zhao Qingyang's face instantly froze, replaced by the same worry.

"Let's go buy some daily necessities and get some fresh air."

Qian Xuesen needed some trivial practical matters to briefly distract himself from the thoughts tearing at his heart, so he said with a smile.

The teacher and student left the campus, which was filled with the light of rationality, and turned into the slightly old-fashioned but clean streets of Pasadena. They entered a fairly large general merchandise store, which had a wide variety of goods, with a special focus on Asian products. The owner was a friendly American named Mr. Johnson.

However, what Qian Xuesen didn't know was that Mr. Johnson happened to be out on business today, and the store was temporarily being managed by the new Japanese employee, Tanaka Ichiro.

The store was filled with a wide variety of goods, and Qian Xuesen and Zhao Qingyang quickly selected the paper, ink, soap, and other items they needed.

As they approached the counter to pay, Tanaka Ichiro, a Japanese shop assistant with a buzz cut, instantly turned icy cold upon hearing Qian Xuesen and the students speaking Chinese.

Qian Xuesen politely placed the items on the counter, ready to pay.

"Get out! You're not welcome here!"

"Chinese and dogs not allowed!"

Instead of settling accounts as usual, Tanaka Ichiro crossed his arms and spoke in a harsh and shrill voice in heavily accented English.

In an instant, time seemed to freeze.

A surge of adrenaline rushed to Zhao Qingyang's head!

The young man's eyes blazed with fury, his fists clenched, and his teeth grinding together.

The blood and tears of old China, the humiliation suffered by countless compatriots in the concessions and under the iron heel of the enemy, boiled in my heart like magma.

"What did you say?!"

"Open your dog eyes and see clearly! Japan surrendered unconditionally a long time ago!"

"You lackey of a defeated nation, what right do you have to be arrogant in front of us?!"

"Our nation is shedding blood and sacrificing itself, bravely resisting aggression! Your bullshit imperial dreams have long been crushed by atomic bombs and the tide of steel!"

He took a sudden step forward, his voice trembling with extreme anger, yet each word burst forth with resounding force.

Tanaka Ichiro was taken aback by Zhao Qingyang's imposing aura, but soon, a twisted emotion mixed with inferiority and tyranny took over his face.

"Haha! Surrender? That's right, the Empire has surrendered to the great United States! As for you Chinese?"

"A weak and cowardly nation! You only won the Pacific War because of the Americans, you just got a free ride!"

"What do you have to be proud of? Look at yourself now!"

"The United States! Our new master! Is handing over a steady stream of orders for the Korean War to Japan!"

"Our factories are operating day and night, producing the finest weapons, ammunition, and uniforms! And shipping them to the front lines in Korea!"

"Help the American army defeat your peasant soldiers who are dressed in thin clothes and carrying homemade guns and cannons! Do you know what that means?"

"This is Japan's chance to rise from the ashes! Orders! Money! Industry! Power! We will become strong again and stand up once more! And you, China?"

"You will be utterly defeated! Smashed to pieces! Never to rise again! You will revert to those groveling, lowly, dog-like trash you were hundreds of years ago! Just like before!"

He let out a short, sharp laugh, as if he had heard the funniest thing in the world.

This blatant curse, carrying a distortion of history and a vicious fantasy about the future, is like a poisoned dagger, piercing the hearts of the two overseas wanderers.

Zhao Qingyang was so angry that he was trembling all over and almost rushed forward without thinking.

Qian Xuesen's expression also turned extremely serious, his eyes as cold as iron, but he still maintained amazing restraint, holding the student who was almost out of control tightly with one hand.

The heavy sorrow in his heart had now transformed into a raging fire of fury and a chilling resolve.

Our motherland has been so slandered, our martyrs are fighting and shedding blood, and yet this clown dares to bark so arrogantly!

Just as tensions were running high and the air seemed to be about to burst, the shop door was suddenly pushed open.

"What's going on here? What are you shouting about?!"

(What's going on here? What are you yelling about?!)
A dignified yet slightly hurried voice rang out, tinged with obvious anger. The newcomer was none other than Mr. Johnson, the shop owner.

He was a tall, middle-aged white man with a typical American face. He walked in quickly with a furrowed brow.

"Ah! Mr. Johnson! You're finally back! Please come and see!"

"These two lowly Chinese dare to barge in and buy things! I've already told them to get out according to the rules, but they're still acting so arrogantly!"

"These Chinese pigs, their country is so weak and incompetent, it was almost completely destroyed by our Great Japanese Imperial Army! What are they pretending for now!"

"Even if we are now America's... uh, loyal partners, our status is still a thousand times better than these useless, lowly Chinese!"

One second Tanaka Ichiro was treating Chinese people like vicious dogs, the next he was wearing a servile and obsequious face, bowing almost ninety degrees as he spoke.

"Do you even know who you're talking nonsense to?!"

Mr. Johnson’s voice suddenly rose, interrupting Tanaka Ichiro’s foul language like a thunderclap, and he shouted angrily.

"Sir...we...they are...China..."

Tanaka Ichiro was stunned by his boss's thunderous reprimand and looked at Johnson helplessly.

"He is Dr. Qian Xuesen! He is the most prestigious aerospace engineering professor at Caltech! He is the core figure of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory!"

"He is my son David Johnson's most admired and respected teacher! He is a great scientist who led humanity to explore the boundaries of the sky!"

"You ignorant, arrogant fool! How dare you spout such nonsense about Dr. Qian and his students?!"

Johnson suddenly waved his hand, pointed at Qian Xuesen beside him with a calm expression but eyes as sharp as an abyss, and said clearly, word by word.

Like being struck by a heavy hammer, Tanaka Ichiro's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Caltech!

He had heard of these names, which were household names in the American scientific community, even though he worked odd jobs in the store.

The name Qian Xuesen also represents a kind of unattainable honor in the scientific community.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, but his distorted mentality did not completely succumb; his racial prejudice against Chinese people as "inferior" stubbornly persisted.

"But Mr. Johnson! I'm telling the truth!"

"Japan... Japan gained a huge advantage in the war against China! They were the weaker party!"

"On the Korean battlefield now, it's our production for the US military that truly represents strength! They..."

"They Chinese don't even have decent warships! Their coastal defenses are incredibly weak! They will never change their base nature!"

He forced himself to remain calm, trying to grasp at the last straw, based on his self-righteous "strength."

Mr. Johnson laughed in his fury, a laugh that was icy and chilling.

He stopped yelling at Tanaka Ichiro and looked at him like he was a clown, then reached into his briefcase and pulled out a copy of the Los Angeles Times.

At the bottom of the front page of the newspaper, two extremely eye-catching photos occupied a huge portion of the page!

He slammed the newspaper down on the counter with a loud "bang," right in front of Tanaka Ichiro's ugly face that froze instantly!

"You call them weak? You say they have no power? You say they don't have a decent navy?!"

"Take a good look at your eyes, which are blinded by filth and prejudice!"

"Look at today's newspaper! Look at what earth-shattering events have just happened in this world!!!"

Tanaka Ichiro's gaze, involuntarily, with a hint of panic and extreme resistance, fell upon the newspaper. Time seemed to freeze in the next second.

Photo 1: On the vast and boundless blue ocean, the powerful Chinese naval fleet is cutting through the waves!

The camera captures the scene from an overhead angle, creating an unparalleled visual impact!

At the heart of the fleet were two imposing, sleek, silver-gray cruisers with main gun barrels as thick as giant trees, their bows cleaving through huge white wakes!
The entire fleet was impeccably organized, with its ships in perfect order and its banners fluttering in the wind!

Especially the huge red flags fluttering atop the mainmast of every ship, gleaming in the Pacific sun, were so intensely red, so solemn, and full of a new and powerful sense of strength!
The once arrogant "god" who trampled most of Asia underfoot actually knelt down before the Chinese, whom he had always despised as the "sick man of East Asia" and "Chinese pig".

And they're kneeling before China's powerful fleet?!

"Die! Die all of you!"

"May all those American devils and Chinese pigs die! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!!! Long live—!!!"

He screamed madly, lunging at the newspaper on the counter as if to tear apart this "monster" that was shattering his mental world.

Mr. Johnson reacted swiftly, shoving aside the utterly deranged Tanaka Ichiro, and said with disgust, "Security! Drag this lunatic out of here! Fire him immediately! And inform all colleagues that this man has extremely dangerous thoughts and racist behavior, and will never be hired again!"

Two burly security guards rushed in and dragged Tanaka Ichiro, who was rambling incoherently and gesticulating wildly as if he were a dead dog, out of the room. His shrill screams quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

Several customers who had just entered the store witnessed this scene and were stunned, whispering among themselves.

"Dr. Qian, Mr. Zhao, I am so sorry! I am ashamed that such a terrible and racially discriminatory incident occurred in my store!"

"This madman's words do not represent the attitude of this store, much less the attitude of the American people! Please accept my sincerest apology!"

Mr. Johnson took a deep breath, turned to Qian Xuesen and Zhao Qingyang, and said with a face full of apology and sincere respect.

"Mr. Johnson, thank you for your fairness and timely intervention."

"This is not your fault. Some things are deeply ingrained."

Qian Xuesen adjusted his glasses, his heart churning with turmoil. He gave Johnson a deep look, composed himself, and then spoke.

His gaze slowly fell on the Los Angeles Times on the counter, which was like Pandora's box open.

The majestic steel fleet in the photo, the five-star red flag fluttering in the wind, the Japanese emperor and his subjects kneeling in worship... the intense visual impact made him hold his breath instantly!

"This is……"

Qian Xuesen's voice trembled slightly, and his hand involuntarily reached for the newspaper.

"Ah, Dr. Qian! Look! This is a major news article that was just printed this afternoon!"

"This is an absolutely earth-shattering event! The whole world is shocked! Check out the detailed report!"

Johnson quickly handed over the newspaper, his tone full of amazement.

Qian Xuesen hurriedly took the newspaper and eagerly read every detail of the report.

Zhao Qingyang also moved closer to the teacher. Both of them forgot about shopping, forgot about the humiliation and anger they had just experienced, and were completely immersed in this earth-shattering news.

Qian Xuesen's fingertips brushed over the cold printed words of the Los Angeles Times, but trembled violently the moment they touched the fleet photos.

He abruptly pushed up his glasses, his gaze fixed on the details at the bottom of the report:
"...This fleet was able to be formed because General Wu Wanli, the young commander of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, impressed the Soviet Union with his world-shaking military achievements!"

"He led the Seventh Steel Brigade on a surprise attack, covering 241 li, and seized the Chaoding Iron Bridge, capturing four important towns in succession: Pingze, Suinan, Suwon, and Hengcheng!"

"We annihilated over ten thousand enemy soldiers, finally meeting the 'impossible conditions' set by the Soviets, and in return, our warships were able to return east! This was the foundation for our fleet's triumph in Tokyo Bay and the wiping away of the shame of the First Sino-Japanese War!"

"'Impossible condition'..."

Qian Xuesen repeated in a low voice, his chest heaving like a surging tide.

He seemed to see Wu Wanli's nineteen-year-old figure braving the north wind in the frozen mountains of North Korea, leading his troops to tear a bloody path through the desperate situation, and winning this pillar-like fleet for his weak motherland!
"Qingyang! Did you see that?!"

"The foundation of this 'Asia's No. 1 Navy' was earned with lives!"

Qian Xuesen said.

"Teacher! This is a mortal body performing divine deeds!"

"From this day forward, who dares to say with disdain that China has no coastal defense?!"

Zhao Qingyang was already in tears, and the words he spoke burned in his heart like a raging fire.

"Wu Wanli paved the way for the ships with his blood and flesh, proving one thing—the backbone of the Chinese people cannot be broken! The path of the Chinese people can be forged!"

"Though we study wings and stars in a foreign land, we should emulate the courage and spirit of this young man!"

"When the time is right, I will return to China! I will dedicate all my knowledge to forging a sword and shield to protect our nation!"

"We want all the world's powers to hear the voice of China and respect the name of China!!"

Qian Xuesen solemnly pressed the newspaper to his chest and spoke each word with resounding force.

"teacher!"

"Students follow you! We will brave the vast seas to secure our territory, and hold high the torch to illuminate the heavens!"

"I will dedicate my life to China and work together to build the national spirit of China's military industry!"

Tears welled up in Zhao Qingyang's eyes, but he stood tall and proud, his vow as firm as iron.

....................................

In Washington, D.C., inside the White House and the Oval Office
US President Truman was slumped in a leather chair, his face ashen.

He held two reports that had just arrived from the front lines in Korea tightly in his hands.

One was a front-page special edition of the Los Angeles Times, with the headline "Chinese Navy Fleet Shows Off in Tokyo Bay, Emperor Kneels!"

The other document was a military intelligence briefing, which detailed how Wu Wanli, commander of the Seventh Steel Brigade, led his troops to liberate Hengcheng and annihilate the US supplementary regiment in ten days.

"This Wu Wanli... he's a monster!"

"In just ten days, he fought his way from Suwon to Hengcheng, bringing warships to the Chinese and even making the Japanese Emperor kneel down!"

Truman growled in a low voice, slamming the newspaper onto the table, his eyes filled with incredulous fear.

"Mr. President, the analysis report shows that Wu Wanli's tactical talent is beyond the norm."

"He used the routed soldiers to attack the South Korean defense line. The 'blitzkrieg' of the Seventh Steel Brigade completely disrupted our strategic layout."

"If we let him continue to exert his influence, our army will be exhausted, while the Chinese army will complete its reinforcements, supplies, and recuperation, and directly launch the Fifth Campaign."

"Under these circumstances, the UN forces are doomed to defeat!"

Secretary of State Dean Acheson stood at his desk, quickly flipping through documents, and added with a grave expression.

"Can't hesitate any longer!"

"Acheson, send an urgent telegram to Ridgway immediately!"

"Order the UN Command to completely abandon attacks on other Chinese People's Volunteer Army units in the Incheon-Han River area and switch to full defense."

"Those unit commanders, like Li Yunlong and Kong, are just minor troubles."

"We must concentrate our firepower and launch a full-scale attack on Wu Wanli's Seventh Steel Brigade!"

"Tell them this is a top priority order; they must be wiped out at all costs, or this force will render our strategy futile!"

"At the same time, offer an even higher price."

"If Wu Wanli is willing to surrender, the U.S. military will not only give him command of 100,000 South Korean troops, but also grant him the additional position of commander of the U.S. Army's Chinese-American Division."

Truman stood up, walked to the window, looked into the distance, and said.

"Yes, President!"

“I’ll go generate electricity right away. Ridgway will mobilize all resources to carry out the order. No matter how brave Wu Wanli is, the Seventh Steel Brigade will not be able to escape the encirclement.”

Acheson nodded hurriedly.

After saying that, he hurriedly left the office, leaving Truman alone staring at Wu Wanli's name on the battle report, a hint of hatred and murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

....................................

Inside the Kremlin, Soviet Union

Stalin paced back and forth in his office, clutching the Far East war report, ashes from his pipe falling softly onto the Persian carpet.

The Moscow winter night outside the window was pitch black, but a deeper calculation was churning in his eyes.

"The Americans aren't bleeding fast enough..."

"When setting new requirements for China in the future, we can double the amount of equipment we provide, including aviation blueprints, shipyard experts, and even ruble loans—we'll throw them all at them!"

"But before each aid mission, it's best to leave the Chinese half a step away from their goal."

"We can still give it to them even if they don't finish, just halve the amount."

"We'll lend them whatever they need, and it would be best to use the chains of debt to bind this Eastern lion."

Stalin thought for a moment and then spoke.

"But Wu Wanli's victory in the Korean War has already given the Chinese a lot of things for free."

"If this continues..."

Soviet Defense Minister Bulganin pondered for a moment.

"Then let's create an opportunity that's 'almost there'!"

"The worst-case scenario is a complete victory for the United States, and the collapse of North Korea!"

"The moderate outcome is that China gets stronger as it fights, but at least it can bleed the United States dry and help us get rid of our biggest enemy."

"No matter how powerful China is now, it is only a limited power for the Soviet Union for at least ten years."

"The best outcome would be for China and the United States to fight indefinitely in Korea, while we, the Soviet Union, watch the United States grow weaker and weaker, and China would not become a new threat to us."

"But Wu Wanli's Seventh Steel Brigade is too formidable, this matter is a bit difficult."

Stalin frowned as he spoke.

"Then... should the Seventh Steel Brigade be used as expendable resources?"

"If Wu Wanli is eliminated, the Chinese army, having lost its spearhead, is likely to get bogged down in a protracted war with the US military."

"At that time, we will continuously supply them with 'lifelines,' and they will be forever indebted to the Soviet Union!"

"Bulganin suggested in a low voice."

"Tell me more specifically?"

Stalin took a puff of his pipe, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and asked.

"Let Wu Wanli retake Suwon!"

"In addition, we also aim to get them to cross the Han River tributaries at least three times!"

"We're offering six Soviet mechanics divisions light weapons and equipment free of charge as a reward; they can't possibly resist!"

Bulganin said with a smile.

"Crossing the Han River three times..."

"If they can really pull off a miracle, we will only lose some old equipment, but we can make the United States continue to bleed, which will help us move toward a medium-term outcome that is in the interest of the Soviet Union."

"What if the Seventh Steel Brigade perished at the bottom of the river?"

"Then China will lose its sharpest weapon, and the fight with the United States will become even more intense and protracted, which will be conducive to the best outcome that the Soviet Union desired."

"Let's settle on this. You can have our advisor stationed in China handle the specifics."

"I find it hard to believe that this Chinese man named Wu Wanli could do that."

"Under the encirclement of 100,000 UN troops, they crossed the Han River tributary at least three times?"

"This is a deadly shackle-type target..."

Stalin smiled and waved his hand to give the order.

(End of this chapter)